Improvement in daguerreotype apparatus



w. w. H.v& -H.J. LEwrs.

- A Camera. No. 8.513. Patented Nov. 11, 1851.`

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UNITED STATES @PATENT @Errol-3.

WILLIAM LEWIS, WILLIAM I-I. LEWIS, ANDn-IENEY T. LEWIS, or NEW YORK, N.Y.

IMPROVEMENT iN DAGUERREOTYPE. APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5,5113, dated November11, 1851.

' used; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section. Fig.' 2 is across-section through the line A B of Figs. 1 and 3, and Fig. y3 is asectional plan of the frame to carry the daguerreotype-plate.

Like marks of reference apply to the same parts in all the figures.

a is a bed-piece, of any fit material, made thin in the center part, asseen in Fig. 2, with thicker edges, and two beads b, running lengthwiseof the bed, and this piece is to be supported, adjusted, Aand sustainedon a pedestal or other convenient camera-stand.

h is a short square box secured to the piece a with an opening c in theend to carry a lens or lens-tube of any usual form.

1 is a thin square frame carrying between it and the box b a squaretrunk of leather d, fitted to fold up or shut together, and a stiffeningof card-board is introduced cut out in strips of the width of the fold,with the ends of the strips cut off at an angle of about fortyivedegrees, and each side of the leather is thus fitted so as to fold upbackward and forward in the forni of a square bellows, and the folds areturned at the angles, as shown in the drawings, so that this trunk canbe either extended out so that the leather is drawn tight or shut up tothe thickness of the folds of leather and the stiffening materialwithin. The other end of this leather is secured by a square fralne 3,similar to the fraine 1, to a sliding box c, which is made with anopening 4. in the back of the box to enable the operator to see theiigure on the object-glass. The

'box e is guided on the bed-piece a by a V- slide in a vsimilar groove 5in the bed a, so that the box e slides parallel on the bed and issecured in place by a square-headed screw 8, between the beads G, withthe shank passfrarnes i and partition 7c.

ing through a slot '7 lengthwise of the bedplate ce, and going upthrough a hole in the box e with a nut f, so that the box c can beretained at any required point, and a bowspring g between the beads 6 issecured by a screw 1o, and prevents the box c from working loose, thespring causing a slight friction as the box slides either Way.

Through the sides of the box e is a cross opening or mortise h, fittedwith bow-springs 11 11 at top and bottom in the groove formed in the topand bottom of the box. This opening 7L receives an oblong frame t',fitted with ends 12 12, that project over the edges of the frame t', soas to prevent the slide drawing out of the camera, and one of the ends12 is secured by a screw 13 and pins, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2,)to allow of its belng entered through the opening 71.

The frame t' is divided in its length by a vertical piece 7a, which, aswill be seen, forfns' two square' openings or shallow boxes, each with ahead around the front edge. One of these boxes receives afranle Z, thatcarries an obj ect-glass m, and the fraine Z is secured by buttons 14..This framel being square and receiving an oblong plate `of glass m thesize of the daguerreotype-plate can be entered either way, so as to takeone or more persons vertically on the plate or a group horizontally byremoving the trarne and placing the obj ect-glass with its longestdimension horizontally, the buttons 14: taking notches in the The otherpart of the frame i (see Fig. 4) receives the daguerreotype-plate in aframe fn, which is constructed with arabbet 18, to receive the platewhich is securedY by a back and buttons, as usual. In front of therabbet 1b is a niortise and slides receiving a slide-plate 0, with astop 19, which taking against the edge of the moruise prevents the slide0 being entirely withdrawn.

21 is a countersink in the frame n to move the frame by, and 22 is asimilar countersink in the slide 0 for the saine purpose.

m m are strips on the top and bottom within the one-half of the frameIl, that carry bowsprings 1G, and this end of the frame 'L' has ainortise to pass the daguerreotype-plate frame n. These springs 1G forcethe frame n against the rabbet around the frame or slide c', and to holdthis frame n in place we attach small blocks 17 on the inside of themortise in the end of framed, and cutsmall correspondingnotches 2O inthe frame n, so that as the frame ot is shoved into the frame t', thesprings forcing it against the rabbets on the frame t', the blocks 17take the notches 20 and hold the frame in place, and when the frame n isto be removed it is to be drawn back against the operation of thesprings 16 until it is clear of the blocks 17 and t-hen slid out.

The mode of using this camera is as follows: The operator, standingbehind the camera, moves the frame t' so that the ground glass is in thecamera. The end 12 of the slide, taking against the side of the camera,regulates the glass in the right position in the camera.

, He then sets the focus by adjusting the box e to the requiredposition, the folded leather d either shutting up or extending, at thesame time excluding all light, and the box e is retained in place on thebed a by the nut f,

and if the lens-tube is made adjustable the focus may be inally adjustedby this means, and when the focus is thus correctly obtained on theobject to be taken the operator, having previously put aproperly-prepared plate in the frame n and placed it in the slideframe1I, pushes the slide-frame i in the direction of the arrow, (see Fig.3,) so that its other end 12 takes the opposite side of the camera, thesprings 11 11 yielding, but causing the slide to set tight against theforward edge of the opening h, and placing the daguerreotypeplate inprecisely the position that the object-glass previously occupied, and bythe notch 22 the operator withdraws the slide o, uncovering the plate tobe acted 0n by the light, as usual,'the stop 19 -preventing the slide 0being entirely withdrawn, and when the plate has been exposed the propertime to the action of the light the slide is to be pushed back intoplace, cutting off all the light, and

the slide n with the plate is to be removed,

as before described, and the plate treated in any usual manner tocomplete the picture.

The advantages of this mode of con structing cameras over the old andusual methods are that in cameras that open at the top the light from asky-light particularly is apt to enter the joint of the lid, thatallowsthe glass to be removed and the plate to be putin; but in ours the topof the camera is perfectly tight, and the springs 11 11 force the framet' against the forward edge of the mortise ythrough the box e, excludingall light but that passing through the lens.

The frame t' may be made to slide vertically, if so required.

In the old cameras the ground glass had to be withdrawn and then theplate and frame put in, which occupied very much more time than in ourarrangement, in which by merely sliding the frame t' across the camerathe ground glass is removed at the same time the daguerreotype-plate isput into place, and the speed with which daguerreotypes are taken is agreat object, particularly with children, as they as well as others areapt to move if too much time is employed, thereby spoiling the picture.

The arrangement of the folding-trunk connection between the ends of thecamera, made of leather or other fit material, is an advantage over theordinary sliding camera, as there is no opening for admitting light,and, besides, the camera will shut up into so very much less space thatitis very compact, which is a very essential requisite, particularly inpacking for transit or for traveling operators.

It will be seen that the sizes and proportions must vary according tothe plate to be used. Therefore We do not limit ourselves in thisparticular.

We are not aware that any of the parts hereinafter claimed have everbeenso applied or used as we have applied, arranged, and combined them,although some of the parts, taken in themselves, are old. Therefore Veclaim- 1. The construction of a camera-box, with a cross opening ormortise to receive a sliding frame that carries both an object-glass andthe daguerreotype-plate, as described.

2. The construction and application of a sliding frame t', with adivision to receive a frame carrying an oblong objectglass, so formed asto be placed either vertically or horizontally, as described and shown.

3. The construction of the slide t', so as to receivein the otherdivision a daguerreotypeplate in a frame n, such frame n being pressedin place by springs 1G and held in place by blocks 17, taking notches inthe frame n, as described and shown. v

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our signatures this 24th day ofApril, 1851.

WILLM. LEWIS. W. H. LEWIS. HENRY T. LEWIS. Witnesses:

W. SERRELL, LEMUEL W. SERRELL.

